Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Welcome, Wendy. Tell us how much of yourself you
write into your characters.

In
general, I enjoy privacy, so I’m actually surprised how much I reveal about
myself in my books. Often times, my characters go through many of the same
emotions I’ve been through at one time or another in my life, even if the
circumstances aren’t exactly the same. As vulnerable as it makes me feel, in
opening up a little about myself, I hope readers can identify with these wide
ranging emotions, and help them know they aren’t alone in their struggles.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

I thought
about this, and I couldn’t come up with one thing in particular. I’m a quirky
person in general. (As I’m sure my husband would agree.) I’m analytical in
nature, and serious minded, but the quirkiness peeks through, normally through
little bits of humor.

When did you first discover that you were a
writer?

I knew I
wanted to be a writer from the first moment I saw the movie Romancing The Stone. The heroine is a
romance writer, and I was drawn into her world of adventure. Ideas of my own
started forming in my mind, and characters came to life, and I had no doubts
that writing is what I wanted to do. I didn’t know inspirational romance was in
my future until much later when God had prepared me to complete my first novel.
Writing with prayers and things I’ve learned about God is natural for me, and
gives my books a sense of purpose.

Tell us the range of the kinds of books you
enjoy reading.

Stephen
King is the writer who hooked me on reading. Early on, I read many of his
books, along with Dean Koontz and others like them. But when I picked up my
first romance novel, I fell in love with the genre. Today, I enjoy reading
mostly inspirational romantic suspense, sweet inspirational romance, women’s
fiction with romantic elements, and an occasional mystery.

How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run
world?

I keep my
sanity by writing. My passion is digging into the fictional world, creating
stories that both uplift and keep the reader guessing until the end. Every time
I immerse myself into my stories, I feel a peace and a sense of purpose that
can only come from knowing I’m doing God’s will.

That is so true. How do you choose your
characters' names?

Sometimes
I hear a name that strikes me as something I’d like to use, other times I read
the ending credits to movies and pick names from there. Friends have suggested
names that I’ve used, and I’ve also tucked in some family names in a few of my
stories. For example, in Just One Kiss, Dustin’s last name, McKinley, was my
grandfather’s first name. The lawyer, Ethel Mae, was my great grandmother’s
first and middle names.

What is the accomplishment that you are most
proud of?

As far as
writing, becoming published is most certainly the highlight. I dreamed of it
for so many years, when it finally happened, I was ecstatic for months. Aside
from the writing world, I’m most proud of my kids and my husband.

If you were an animal, which one would you be,
and why?

I would be
a cat. I love cats in all shapes and sizes. Young or old. As nocturnal animals,
they like to sleep all day and play all night. Sounds pretty good to me!

What is your favorite food?

Fresh and
hot out of the oven glazed donuts are at the top of my list. However, since
diagnosed with Celiac Disease, I have to stay away from gluten. So,
strawberries come in at a close second, and I can still enjoy those. At least
they are healthier anyway, right?

What is the problem with writing that was your
greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

Time.
Finding time to write is my greatest roadblock. Between a part-time job, full-time
motherhood, (including a son with special needs), and keeping up with all of
life’s challenges, time often escapes me. But, God always provides a way. This
past winter we had an unusual amount of snow days. I spend most of those curled
up in a quiet room typing away.

Tell us about the featured book.

Just One
Kiss
was originally designed to be a very short story, but then something came up
and I wrote another book in between. By the time Just One Kiss rolled
around again, Pure Amore was in its planning stages, and the story fit
perfectly for Pelican Ventures’ new imprint. Through
God’s grace, I continued writing Just One Kiss and it became the
story it is today. I’m so glad God has other plans; His ways are always the
best!

Ethel Mae Winslow’s gaze held
steady. “Upon his grandmother’s passing, Mr. McKinley became the proper owner
of your residence. He has the right to do with it as he wishes.”

Molly gaped at the woman sitting
behind the mahogany desk. With her salt-and-pepper hair wound into a bun at the
nape of her skinny neck, and reading glasses perched on the end of her nose,
Granbury’s only attorney resembled the old maid in a deck of playing cards.

Although Molly didn’t like Mrs.
Winslow’s answer, she reminded herself to be civil. “There must be some sort of
misunderstanding. Dorothy promised I could stay in the apartment as long as I
wanted. And, I still want to live there.”

“Do you have this promise in
writing?”

“Well…no.”

“And Mr. McKinley is supposed to
take your word on this? Surely you can understand he can’t just—”

“What? Believe I’m telling the
truth? What was I supposed to do? Pull out a pen and demand she write her
wishes on paper?”

“Considering there’s nothing of this
agreement recorded within Mrs. McKinley’s will, yes it would’ve been helpful.”

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I enjoyed the interview. As a person who absolutely loves names, I especially liked hearing how Wendy chooses names for her characters. :)This sounds like a book I would like! Thanks for the giveaway! :)